Local farmers see only positive effects from ethanol

As some areas of the country are seeing negative environmental effects created by a boom in production of corn-based ethanol, local stakeholders say they are managing the business well.

Canastota farmer Paul O’Mara has 1,200 acres of land in production for corn, and produces around 180,000 bushels annually. Around 95 percent of that corn, he said, is used for ethanol production.

Since the boom in 2005, O’Mara said he hasn’t put any more of his land into corn production, and that ethanol producers are his primary buyer mostly out of convenience.

“For us, the closest buyer is an ethanol plant in Fulton,” O’Mara said.

“Most people don’t realize the byproduct of ethanol feeds cows,” O’Mara said. Although he said he is no chemist, O’Mara explained that after the primary needs for the ethanol, the mash or distillers is pulled, dried, and sent to local feed markets.

“There’s a lot of value that still goes into the feed market,” O’Mara said. “There seems to be a misconception that ethanol production increases the price of food.”

Although ethanol production is a major market for corn, O’Mara said farmers in Central New York still primarily produce corn to feed dairy cows.

O’Mara said environmental impact is something farmers have become much more concerned with in the last few decades. As stewards of the land, he said, he feels protecting the environment is a primary concern.

“There are a lot of steps farmers have been taking to avoid pollution and runoff,” O’Mara said. “We’ve been putting in buffer systems, reducing chemical use and working with local watershed authorities and other groups to limit our impact. We will continue to do everything we can to protect the environment and our livelihoods.”

He said he supports ethanol production as long as it continues to feed his family.

“I feed my family on the income I make from farming,” O’Mara said. “I am all for anything that helps me raise that income.”

Beth McKellips, director of agricultural economic development for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Madison County, said there is “not an abundance” of farms growing corn for ethanol in Madison County, but there is a moderate amount of business.

Steve Lorraine, of the Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District, said a few times in the past, a field has been used to plant corn for ethanol production that might not be completely favorable, either because the soil might have been too rocky or the field too steep, which would cause concern for erosion.

However, Lorraine adds that Madison County farmers work with local farm service organizations to maintain good growing practices, and that testing of waterways and wells is done to ensure they are not victims to pesticide or herbicide runoff from farmers’ fields.

Another aspect of the effect of the ethanol business is the effect its use has on small engines.

Jeff Hull, owner of Hull and Sons small engine repair in Verona, said that in small engines, the ethanol in the new type of gas draws moisture into carburetors, which then oxidizes the aluminum and causes corrosion.

In addition, the higher alcohol content causes the gas to burn hotter in the engine, which can also causes part degradation in engines.

Hull, whose family business has been in operation since 1969, said that if a small engine is currently sputtering and ethanol gas is thought to be the cause, get the engine serviced.

In terms of preventative maintenance, he said there are gas treatments on the market that one can mix with gasoline that will burn up any moisture in the gas attracted by the ethanol.

Hull also suggests buying smaller quantities of gas and not letting gas sit in machines or containers for more than a few weeks.

“The longer gas sits, the more it starts to deteriorate,” Hull said, explaining that as ethanol gas ages, it starts losing its properties that make it useful.

Locally, it is possible to find both ethanol-induced and non-ethanol gas at gas stations.

The Oneida Indian Nation sells non-ethanol gas at several of its SavOn convenience stores. When asked how popular it is with their customers, a spokesman declined to comment.

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About the Authors

Jolene Cleaver is a staff writer at the Oneida Dispatch. Her coverage focuses on crime, government and community events. Reach the author at jcleaver@oneidadispatch.com
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Until December, 2014, Nick will was a staff writer at the Oneida Daily Dispatch. Hailing from Madison. Nick is a 2012 SUNY Plattsburgh graduate. In his time at The Dispatch, he focused on education, history and community events coverage in Madison and Southern Oneida counties. Reach the author at nwill@oneidadispatch.com
or follow Nick on Twitter: @DispatchNick.